Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a letter she sent May 15 to U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Thomas Perez calling on DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to investigate workplace protections for transit workers, particularly bus drivers, who have complained of inadequate access to restrooms. Norton said she had received reports from bus drivers from across the country, including in the District of Columbia, of poor working conditions due to limited or nonexistent restroom access.
In the letter, Norton writes, “Lack of access to restrooms can pose health risks to drivers and safety risks to drivers, passengers, and other vehicles. Drivers have developed conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, urinary tract infections, dehydration, and fatigue. Studies show that when drivers are in extreme need of a restroom, there can be negative impacts on basic cognitive functions similar to a person who has not slept or who has consumed multiple alcoholic beverages.”
Norton requested a response from Secretary Perez within 30 days.
